


Stalks and Bonds

by abstractconcept



Series: Snape/Harry/Draco Bonded Series [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Orgasm Denial, Sex Magic, Threesome, forced bond, mention of urethra play, snarry, well slightly forced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-07 00:20:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4242321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abstractconcept/pseuds/abstractconcept
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Severus betrays the Dark Lord, he and Draco are thrown into Azkaban to await their fate. Then Harry Potter is captured as well, and Severus must come up with a plan to save them all—and quickly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stalks and Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Reversathon exchange, 2006.  
> Ermyntrude Rook (Request: Snape/Harry/Draco. Two of them are in an established relationship and take the other in. Happy ending preferred, but no sap.)

**Stalks and Bonds**

"I'm _cold_ ," Draco said in that crisp voice he used when he expected something done about it.

Snape got up with a sigh and came around to sit behind him on the small, dirty cot, wrapping his long arms around the monster, holding him close to the heat of his body. Draco huffed a little, squirming and trying to get comfortable. Snape's robes, tattered though they were, enveloped them both and gave _some_ semblance of warmth.  
"How long have we been here?"

"A little more than nine hours and approximately eight minutes," Snape said dryly. "That's sixteen minutes, twelve seconds since you last asked, by the way."

"I'm sick of being trapped in here," the boy snarled, and Snape held him more tightly—less for comfort than to pin his arms and discourage him from his habit of leaping to his feet to pace, ranting and raving.

"As am I. Whinging about it has had little effect thus far, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother."

Draco slumped in his embrace. "We're going to die down here, aren't we?"

Severus sighed. From indignant outrage to bitter despair—the boy was just like his father. Honestly, the drama gene ran strong in that family.

"It's possible," he replied, mincing no words, but one of his hands ghosted gently through the youth's hair.

If they _did_ die, Severus Snape would be able to say he'd done his best. He'd played both sides against the middle to some extent, but he'd managed to keep himself and Draco above water up until that last Horcrux…

Severus didn't think he could live in a world ruled by the Dark Lord. It hadn't seemed such a ghastly proposition in the beginning—after all, he'd killed Albus Dumbledore; he'd always have a place of honour in his master's eyes…

But there was the rub.

He _wouldn't_ always have a place of honour in his master's eyes. His master was too capricious, too easily bored, too amused by the vicious competition of his underlings. So there _was_ no safe place; not for him, and certainly not for Draco, who had failed to do what needed to be done. Besides, Severus had a shrewd suspicion that there would never be a safe place for the man who killed Albus Dumbledore when the Dark Lord hadn't been able to do so himself.

His intercession on Draco's behalf nearly used up most of his acclaim as it was.  
Draco was so vulnerable. Snape couldn't imagine Lucius ever being this helpless, this dependent. Not that Draco was ever grateful, or polite, or even _nice,_ but he was…needy, and his need provoked a roaring fire of fierce, protective tenderness in Snape.

It was not completely unheard of. Severus Snape had a soft spot for many of his little Slytherins, vicious bratlings though they were. And Draco, spoilt though he was, had a raging inferiority complex that was nicely countered by Snape's unwavering attentions.

It became a complicated and not very enjoyable game; keep Draco content, yet separate from everyone and everything. Keep Draco from the fury of the Dark Lord, yet retain the Dark Lord's favour. Keep Draco from the Order, yet look for something that might be bargained for the boy's life and freedom. He thought he'd found it. The last Horcrux.

Draco was obviously thinking along the same lines, murmuring, "You never should have gone to that werewolf."

Severus had risked all to creep away in the dead of night and track the werewolf down.  
"He was the only choice," Snape replied. "Lupin couldn't kill a man in cold blood. Lupin is a coward." It made him contemptible, in Snape's eyes, but for this purpose, very useful.

He'd outlined for the wolf the Dark Lord's plans, then ghosted home to Draco's embrace, congratulating himself on outmanoeuvring Voldemort and all of his minions.

"You should have known they'd find us."

"Yes."

They'd come for them in the early hours of the morning, before daybreak.

Not Voldemort; Snape wouldn't have had the nerve to get up to something right under the man's nose. Voldemort was dealing with the giants, and they would keep him occupied for perhaps a day or more.

He'd left Rodolphus in charge, and Rodolphus had been just competent enough to assign Pettigrew to shadow Severus, and had thus learned of the betrayal. Not brave enough to deal with the traitor on his own, Rodolphus had Snape and Draco thrown into a cell in Azkaban, which had become, in Voldemort's greatest triumph thus far, the Death Eaters' headquarters. There they'd stay, until the Dark Lord's return.

Severus made an effort not to think about it, focussing instead on the softness of Draco's hair beneath his fingers.

The boy squirmed. "I'm bored," he muttered.

A smile briefly touched the edges of Severus' mouth. He'd found that Draco was always one of three things: petulant, self-pitying, or downright pornographic. Severus slowly stroked a hand down his ward's back. "What can we do to rectify that?" he murmured.

Draco shifted his body again, this time in a slightly more meaningful, seductive way. He shimmied out of Snape's embrace to slip gracefully onto his knees beside the cot, his chin resting on Severus' thigh. He wore a small, slightly coquettish smile, and his eyes were large and limpid. Bless his black little heart; he pulled off ingénue better than any naïve girl Severus had ever encountered. "Play with me?" the boy suggested, tilting his head to the side a little.

Severus grunted with laughter. "You are a tempting little minx, aren't you?" He ran his thumb over the silk of Draco's lower lip. The scamp nipped his thumb, and then smiled up at him.

"How tempting?" he queried.

Snape smiled slowly in return. "Irresistible, I daresay," he replied.

Draco surged up, pushing Snape back on the cot, straddling the man's legs. "I want you," he purred.

Severus smirked tolerantly. "But not enough to expose _your_ lovely body to the fetid mattress, I notice," he said.

Draco leaned forward, his pale eyes gleaming hungrily in the dim light of their cell. "Don't complain, old man. Just shut up and let me fuck myself on that monstrous prick of yours." His pretty, tapered fingers crawled along Severus' buttons, fingering the cloth of the man's collar in a most obscene way.

Snape curled one hand around the nape of Draco's neck, pulling him into a series of ever-deepening kisses. Just as their breaths were beginning to mingle, puffs of steam on the shivery dungeon air, a clamour interrupted from the top of the stairs, and they both jerked upright.

There was a shout, followed by loud footsteps, and Snape pushed Draco away and bolted to his feet, licking his thin lips. The bars didn't prevent magic, they merely contained it. Though most wandless prisoners would be helpless, Snape was prepared. He concentrated; the moment they opened the cell door, he'd use a non-verbal spell. He'd be ready. All he needed was a moment. Just a _moment,_ and he'd—

"—you bastard, let go of me!" a familiar voice shouted, and Severus sucked in a sharp breath. He darted to the cell door, struggling to see up the narrow flight of steps. Potter. That **fool.** He'd been caught, and now all of Severus' sacrifices were for nothing.

Severus and Draco watched impassively as Harry was dragged, kicking and struggling, down to the cells. "You boys have a new neighbour," Amycus said with a snicker.

Harry pirouetted neatly, catching his guard a vicious kick on the shin. He slipped from the man's grasp and nearly got loose, scrambling up the first few steps, but then he backed down slowly, and Snape could just make out Fenrir's brawny form bounding down the steps after the boy.

"Why don't you just _kill me_?" Harry growled, his face twisted with hatred.  
A large, toothy smile spread across the werewolf's face, and Amycus glanced nervously at his partner before quickly reminding him, "The Dark Lord wouldn't like that. He wants to do it himself. It's his right. His _privilege_."

Harry lifted his lip, but before he could respond, Fenrir grabbed the boy's arm, twisting it sharply up behind his back until Potter hissed in pain. "In you go, then," the werewolf said, yanking open the door of the cell next to Severus and Draco's. He flung Potter in, slamming the door behind him.

Harry hit his hands and knees hard on the stone floor, and Severus winced.

"How about that, then?" Fenrir said, turning his attention to his other captives. "One of your little friends from the Order, come to see you." He leaned on the bars, his glinting eyes wandering over Draco.

Amycus jerked on the man's sleeve. "We ought to do our rounds," he said. "Don't want no one sneaking up on us."

As the jailers exited, Snape looked slowly over to Potter, who had gotten back on his feet. He dusted himself off a little, and then went to sit on his own small cot, sagging, and his head in his hands.

Draco came over to Severus, tugging him by the hand and leading him back to the cot. Severus petted the boy absentmindedly, still worrying over the latest developments. He was deep in his ruminations about how thick the mortar was versus the amount of magic he'd be able to produce within the cell, when Draco's fingertips glided up his throat like a breeze, tickling past his Adam's apple and chucking his chin.

"So," the boy said conversationally. "Where were we?"

Snape raised his eyebrows. "I confess I hadn't pegged you as an exhibitionist," he said in a reproachful voice.

Draco smiled breezily, hands at his own collar, undoing the buttons there. "I have nothing to hide," he answered. "I'm _perfect_."

"Hasn't been five minutes and I already want to spew," Harry grumbled, head still in his hands.

Draco leaned back on his arms, looking at Potter over his shoulder. "Envy is such an unbecoming emotion," he said sweetly.

Potter looked up at that, obviously irritated. His eyes widened as he saw Draco's hands splayed across Snape's chest. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding almost nervous.

Draco smiled smugly. "Playing chess. You couldn't tell?"

Potter blinked a little, averting his eyes. "I guess since you two are still here, there wouldn't be any point in asking you if you know a way out."

"Actually, this is home away from home for dungeon dwellers like us," Snape replied dryly.

"Yes," Draco added, leaning his head against Snape's chest and—knowing him—giving Potter an arch look. "We're here on our honeymoon."

"Very funny, Malfoy," Potter said warily.

"No, really. I can prove it!" Draco reached up and tried to kiss Snape, who warded him off with a hand.

"Oh, _right_. You're really getting it on with _Snape_. You couldn't stand him the last time I saw you two together!" Potter looked disgusted, and Snape felt somewhat insulted.

Draco merely gave a languid shrug. "We came to an understanding."

"Eventually," Snape grunted.

Draco turned to give him a glare, and brought his face close to the man's to hiss, "He doesn't need to know that!"

"It's true, though," the man countered in an undertone. "You were self-centred and easily offended at first…well, I suppose you still are." He traced the youth's jaw with his knuckle. "You simply needed someone to rein you in a bit."

The youth's expression was difficult to read, but his voice was a wistful whisper. "What I _needed_ was a bit of attention that wasn't accompanied by a cuff on the head."

Snape hummed noncommittally. His own attentions to Draco were probably only slightly gentler that Lucius', but they had made a great deal of difference. Draco longed to be the centre of someone's attention, even if that someone was only Severus Snape. Severus knew what boys his age required; a good deal of food for their growing frame, discipline, and a heavy hand balanced by a generous amount of affection--or sex. If one gave them enough sex, they were content with pretty much any other given aspect of the relationship.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Potter demanded suspiciously.

"We were discussing how best to lure you over to the bars between the cells, strangle you, and use your meat to sustain us. Whoops, spoiled the surprise," Snape told him with a wicked glance.

Harry looked sour. "You're always so _morbid_ ," Draco said with approval.

"I don't see how the two of you can sit there and make jokes!" Potter burst out suddenly. "You _do_ know they're going to kill us, don't you? Dark Lord? World domination? Ringing any bells?"

Snape sobered abruptly, and Draco frowned a little, bowing his head. "There's nothing we can do about it," he said with uncharacteristic solemnity. "So why not try to enjoy what little time we have left?"

Snape trailed lazy fingers down the youth's spine, trying to calm him.

Harry blinked at them. "You _aren't_ joking—about each other—are you?" he murmured, sounding slightly baffled. "I never would have believed it. You really—er— _fancy_ each other?"

"Potter, you may have your throngs of admirers and little redheaded cheerleaders, but some of us go for partners with _substance_ ," Draco replied haughtily.

Severus smirked, not adding anything to the conversation at all. Let Potter think he was desperate, if he liked. It made no difference to him. Draco had grown into a fascinating young man; virile and handsome, mercurial and insecure, brimming with carnal appetite like all males his age. He was a handful, but the challenges presented were well worth the rewards.

"Huh," was Potter's sagacious reply. He took to pacing as Severus fondly stroked Draco's hair, much as he might have done with a nervous housecat.

"I like it when you do that," Draco purred.

"I'm shocked. I was simply doing it in an attempt to polish my fingers with your glossy hair."

Draco hummed in something like contentment, as Snape went on pondering their predicament. He had no doubt that the youth trusted him implicitly, and probably felt Severus would come up with something at the eleventh hour.

Snape, for his part, was beginning to feel his anxiety building toward a crescendo.

"Are you two just going to sit there and—and _cuddle_?" Potter said, starting to sound a bit frantic.

Severus raised a brow. "Considering that it's your arrival that put the nail in our coffins, I feel you're being slightly presumptuous."

Potter stared, looking bewildered. "What do you mean? What did _I_ do?"

"Until you decided to pay us a visit, the Dark Lord would have been content to leave us alone until he had time to deal with us at his leisure. With you here, be assured he'll hasten his return."

"Oh. That." Harry waved a hand dismissively.

Draco all but leapt to his feet. "Oh, _that_ ," he repeated acidly. "Hardly counts for _anything_. Just life and death. No big deal."

"You deserved to lose your lives the moment Dumbledore lost his!" Harry retorted with some heat.

"For starters, I wasn't the one who killed him."

"You let the Death Eaters in the castle! And you were _going_ to kill him—if you hadn't lost your nerve!"

"Oh, that's just fine; tell me what I would have done. While you're at it, why don't you paint me a nice rosy picture of the kind of life I would have had if I had a father who was a stockbroker instead of a Death Eater! And for your information, Severus made _arrangements_ with Dumbledore. They planned—"

"I know all about their stupid plan!"

"Then why are you still bloody screaming at us!?"

"SHUT UP!" Severus roared, frightening both boys into silence. He raised his eyes to the damp, mossy stones above their heads. "I thought I heard something."

Harry swallowed hard. "He couldn't be here yet, could he?"

Slowly, Severus shook his head. "I don't think so. He has his hands very full at the moment, I'm told. He will get things straightened out, though."

Draco looked up at him. "How long do we have?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Perhaps a few hours."

"Er...so...what do we do?" Potter asked.

The man shrugged. "We wait. _You_ can hope, if you like. If you're phenomenally lucky—and you generally are—perhaps your little friends will get here first. For Draco and myself, the thought is not much of a comfort."

"You really think the Order could—"

"No. I was merely trying to be kind. You ruined it asking too many questions. Now be quiet and let me think."

Harry brightened at this. "Perhaps you'll be able to come up with a plan? A way out?"

Severus hesitated before answering. "It is…unlikely."

Draco's hands wound anxiously around one another. "If we're going to die, then I want you to fuck me one last time," he stated baldly.

Severus hid his amusement at Potter's shocked and outraged visage. "I may have a difficult time performing in front of our guest," he said ruefully.

"I'll get you up and keep you up," Draco responded with the confidence of an eighteen-year-old sexual gymnast. "If they're going to come for me, I want them to get a good look at the gorgeous body that will be put to waste."

"And I'm sure you wouldn't lament word getting back to your father that when the Death Eaters came walking in they found you spread out like a last meal, and myself doing the feasting," Snape added dryly. "It _would_ serve him right," he mused. "If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have become a Death Eater in the first place, and then we wouldn't be here."

After pretending not to hear the conversation for the past few minutes, Potter apparently felt the need to butt in. "So apparently this is all _his_ fault, and you hold no blame for...say...killing Dumbledore?"

Draco ignored him. "Honestly, the walls are so thin here. Next time we go on holiday, do try to arrange more comfortable accommodations, Severus," he said loftily.

Harry rolled his eyes, going back to his own cot, flopping down on his back with his hair hanging into his eyes. It had grown a bit longer and even shaggier since Severus had last laid eyes on him, and the man's hands twitched with the urge to brush it out of his face.

He turned his attention back to Draco, who was nosing his way down the man's front. "I bet I know what _you_ want," the youth said in a singsong voice.

Severus felt his face growing warm—and himself growing hard. He did not like the idea of being naked in front of Potter, but his body found it very difficult to remain uninterested when Draco began his ministrations. The boy's hands found their way under Severus' outer robes, seeking to undo clasps and feel warm skin.

"Draco…" he protested half-heartedly. He should have known better. Draco responded with a sudden cessation of movement, abruptly frozen, giving Snape an icy glare.

"Yes?" he said in a careful voice.

Severus knew it was better not to object; Draco did not handle rejection well, and Severus would prefer their last hours be comparatively pleasant ones. Instead of denying the youth, he arched up against Draco's hand. "Don't be a tease," he admonished lightly, and saw the tension drain from that fair face.

Smiling softly, Draco lowered his head to nuzzle his face against Snape's burgeoning erection. Severus hummed in pleasure, winding his fingers through pale hair. Draco began to breathe heavily, his exhalations warm and balmy against Snape's straining trousers. Severus shifted a little, feeling impatient, and Draco ran the flat of his tongue up the cloth-covered length of Severus' prick. Determined not to be overly lewd, Severus held back the groan building in his chest, gritting his teeth and trembling slightly.

Draco paused, glancing up coyly, then bent his head again and began to kiss and suck at the tent in the man's trousers. A strangled sound escaped Severus' throat.

"Do the two of you _mind_?" Potter burst out. "You're not the only ones here, and I'm finding this _really_ revolting!"

Draco's head whipped around, but the anger on his face almost immediately gave way to smug amusement. "Liar," he replied, a laugh in his tone.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Ignoring him for a moment, Draco went back to fondling his former Head of House, pushing one of Snape's legs off the cot. "You're enjoying this almost as much as we are," he asserted.

" _What?_ I am _not!_ Just because _you_ were brought up in Sodomy Central doesn't mean we all lean that way, Malfoy! I'm not a pervert!"

"Gosh, he sure is protesting convincingly," Draco remarked with a grin.

Severus couldn't tear his eyes away from Potter, who appeared to be sporting something of an erection of his own. "If quantity is what makes a dissent believable, and not quality," Severus noted.

"Shut your gob! I'm not gay!"

"I understand," Draco said seriously. "I'm so beautiful that a lot of men become confused about that sort of thing when I'm around."

"Ugh! I don't find _you_ attractive!" Harry cried, his voice rising in distress.

"Oh, I see. It's Severus that turns your crank, is it? Well, I'm a pushover for tall, dark and handsome, myself, so—"

"That's NOT IT!"

"Just the sexually charged atmosphere getting to you, then?"

Harry dropped back onto his cot, hiding his crimson face in his hands.

Severus laughed gruffly, mussing Draco's hair. "So provocative," he murmured.

Draco beamed.

"You both realize that we're going to die, don't you?" Harry put forth.

"You're like a dog with a bone," Draco responded, exasperated. "Of _course_ we know! We're trying to forget about it for a while!"

Harry got up and came over to the bars, resting his forehead against them. "Don't you have _any_ ideas? Couldn't there be a secret escape tunnel or something?"

"You're grasping at straws. Or trying to distract us from intercourse. In either case...you're doing no good."

"The bars are actually pretty far apart—at least the ones _between_ the cells. Maybe I could squeeze through, or break through or something!"

"Potter, even _you_ were never so underfed as to achieve that particular feat and, quite frankly, I fail to see how having you in here with us would improve anything," Snape explained.

Harry sighed disconsolately. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He thought for a few minutes, then looked up again. "Isn't there…isn't there _anything_ you can think of that might buy us some time? There must be _something_. Some really powerful, super secret dark spell?"

Draco laughed. "Yeah, right, Potter. I'll get right on that. Right after I heave up some ectoplasm." Snape sat up suddenly, pushing Draco away. "Hey!" the youth griped. "What are you—"

"Shh. I'm thinking." Severus threw both legs over the edge of the cot, looking up at the ceiling and frowning ferociously. "There _is_ …something," he said reluctantly.

Draco exchanged a glance with Potter, who seemed rather surprised, considering he'd been the one to bring the topic up. "Well then, tell us, O wise and almighty black magic maker," Malfoy said archly. "What is this formidable spell?"

Severus hesitated. "It's called the Coitus Consolidation Curse."

"Coitus I like," Draco said. "The rest…I'm not so sure about."

"Coitus?" Harry repeated.

"Sex," Draco explained. "It's something about sex."

"And it's a _curse_? Count me out."

"It's considered a curse by many," Severus admitted.

"What exactly does it do? How does it work?" There was no surer way of capturing Draco's undivided attention than bringing together sexual delight and obscure dark magic.

"Through sex, as you so masterfully surmised," Severus told him. "It's based on a spell that allows one to augment his own powers by using the powers of others—borrowing those powers, if you would."

"Why is it a curse?"

" _Considered_ a curse," Severus corrected. "It has some very powerful positive results. Some could be considered well worth the trade-off. After all, once you've gained this magical augmentation, you can implement it at will after the bonding. But that's the downside. The spell also links the caster to whomever he was borrowing said magical energy from—for life. No matter where you are or what you're doing, you'll always know where your bond-partner is; you'll always be able to 'feel' them."

"We could do that," Draco promptly offered. Snape opened his mouth to protest, but Draco cut him off. "Yes, I can imagine the negative consequences. But would they be any worse than a brief encounter with a bright green light?"

"Over time, you might come to think so," Snape told him gravely.

Draco caressed the back of the man's hand patiently. "We were stuck in close quarters together for several months," he pointed out, "and I didn't get sick of you then." He leaned up and gently kissed the man's lips. "We can make this work. We have to."

"I guess it's worth a shot," Harry opined. "I'll even turn my back."

"Draco, even the two of us together could not generate enough magical energy to escape."

The youth looked aggravated. "Then why did you even bring it up?"

"Use your head, child. The two of us together mightn't have the power necessary. With the help of Mr. Potter, on the other hand…."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Huh? You— _me_? Why would you need me?"

"Because you're the one with the real power, even if you don't yet know what to do with it, or how to control it."

"W—what? I am not. I'm—I'm just lucky, that's all." Potter's face was glowing with embarrassment. Snape wondered if his entire body were that potently pink.

"Don't be modest," the man told him facetiously. "You're a powerhouse. You're our ticket out of here."

"I'm not," Harry said weakly. "I can't. I _won't_."

"Look, boy..." Severus said, taking a deep breath. "If you will deign to participate, I shall allow you to be the one to say the incantation, thus giving you control over the bond. You will be the one—the only one—able to draw power from it."

Draco opened his mouth, but the man waved him to silence.

"Really?" Harry asked, dithering. "I don't know..."

"You'd be able to knock the cell doors right off their hinges," Snape said.

"I don't trust you."

"Look," Draco said, marching over to the bars and glowering at Potter, "you're not the only one about to die. Severus isn't trying to trick you. That would be ridiculous. If nothing else, you can trust in his desire to stay alive. He says that's what the spell does, and I believe him."

Harry shifted from one foot to the other. "Maybe..."

"It's true that the spell can be used for other things. When we've escaped, it will be possible for you to access our power again and again, for whatever you wish. I'm the one having to trust _you_ , Potter," Severus said in a bitter voice.

"Would it help me kill Voldemort?"

" _Yes_ ," Snape replied. "It has that potential." He met Harry's eyes, willing the boy to see how perfectly serious he was. "The death of the Dark Lord would benefit us as well. I have no reason to lie on that count."

Harry let out a trembling breath. "It's worth it. After what he's done, I'm willing to deal with the devil a bit. Just don't think you'll be off the hook. You'll pay for what you've done—both of you. Let me just get my jeans off," he said, fumbling with his fly. As the youth's y-fronts were exposed, Draco sneered derisively. "What?" asked Potter, suddenly belligerent. "Look, just because Daddy bought you nice little silk knickers…"

"Enough," Snape quelled. "After this is over, we'll all be one happy family, so let's attempt to practice the love and acceptance early."

Both boys looked close to terminally disgusted at the thought. "Great!" Harry griped. "The only thing that could turn me on more than the idea of shagging the slime of Slytherin is a charming mention of incest. Thanks, I needed that."

"Um…I don't want to be a wet blanket, but how exactly are we going to work the mechanics of this? I mean, Potter _is_ on the other side of the bars," Draco noted.

"We'll improvise," the man replied brusquely. "It's not as if there's a wall between us; if you can stick your cock through the bars—and magnificent though the Malfoy physique _is_ , I think it can still be accomplished—I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"What? _Me?_ Fuck _Potter_? I thought _you'd_ be the one wanting to do that!"

"While you did what, exactly? Picture the possible variations in your mind, if you would."

Draco frowned for a moment, then brightened. "I could—"

"When the Dark Lord sets up his own beauty boutique. How many times have I told you? _I do not bottom_."

"Wait a second," Harry interrupted uneasily. "I didn't sign on to let Draco Malfoy fuck me up the arse. I don't know what sort of afterlife awaits me, but I'm _damned_ sure it can't be as bad as _that_."

"I see," Snape said, whirling on him and striding purposefully up to the bars. Harry, now clad in only his underpants, shrank away. "So it is _my_ cock you are craving so desperately."

"I did _not_ imply that. I thought I'd be on top!"

"Describe for me a situation in which that would be possible, Mr. Potter. Because each participant must be penetrated or penetrating, and _I do not bottom_. I make potions, I terrorise little boys, and I even, when forced, _kill,_ but I _do. Not. Bottom_. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"And what don't I do, Potter?"

"Bottom, sir," he grated. "Can we just get on with things? I mean, if I'm fucked either way…"

"Lovely," the man replied. Harry began to peel off his y-fronts. " _Lovely_."

The youth really _did_ blush all over—the mix of embarrassment and arousal had pinked down the graceful curve of his neck, stained his chest, crept up to curl behind and over the tantalizing shell of his ear. His nipples were stiff and claret-hued— _delicious_ , Snape thought. His prick, too, was swollen and succulent, the very bloom of erotic virility.

"What?" Harry asked, uncertainly shifting from one foot to the other under the scrutiny.

"Red really is your colour, isn't it?" Severus replied in a mild voice. If possible, the youth blushed even harder, flaming right up to his hairline.

"Er, thank you?"

Now Draco was beginning to quickly disrobe, undoubtedly trying to take attention away from Harry's beauty by baring his own. He whipped off his robes with a flourish, tossing them to Snape rather than allowing them to settle on the filthy cot or even filthier floor. "He's all right," the young man said, eyeing his prospective partner dubiously, displaying his own wares with a casual air. "He's rather scrawny, though."

"Look who's talking!" Harry shot back, bristling.

"Don't start that until I can get you a pit with some gelatinous substance and sell tickets to the event," Snape advised dryly. "You're both exquisite," he acknowledged. Potter looked somewhat mollified, but Draco's face continued to hold the trace of a sulk. "I _am_ letting you top," Snape reminded him, and Draco gave a reluctant nod.

After a long moment, Harry spoke up shyly. "Um…what happens next?" Draco looked no more willing to advance things, and Severus realised he would have to be the impetus.

"Potter, come over to the bars," he instructed in his no-nonsense voice. The boy did so warily. Severus reached through to him carefully, as though calming a skittish colt, lightly cupping Harry's chin. "You've nothing to fear from this," Snape said quietly, and despite himself, the youth seemed to believe him. He relaxed fractionally, and Severus reached out his other hand as well, petting the boy's dark fringe, indulging in his desire to push it out of the boy's face.

The youth's skin was blazing like a flame, hot to the touch, warming Snape's cool fingers. Severus grasped Harry's chin more firmly, guiding it to the bars. Harry's eyes went wide with panic as Severus leaned in. "Wait—what—" He was cut off by the insistent pressure of Snape's lips.

After a few moments of stillness, Harry let out a sigh through his nose, fingers going slack round the bars, mouth open just enough for Severus to flick the tip of his tongue inside. Harry gasped a little, jerking back a step. He raised the back of his hand to wipe away the saliva that had clung to his lower lip.

"I—don't know," he choked out, his voice agonised.

"Draco. Forward," Severus ordered like the commander of a particularly unusual new faction of the army. "Show Mr. Potter how to kiss."

Draco hesitated only a moment before striding to the bars. Nothing about him indicated he was unsure of himself in any way. "Come here, Potter," he growled. Harry seemed to be pulled forward on a string, looking mesmerised, though not fearful. Perhaps this really was the better choice; Draco's lithe, silvery splendour was far less intimidating than Severus' looming shadow. There was an added advantage, as well; neither Malfoy nor Potter was capable of backing down once they'd begun—their pride would not allow it.

"Don't boss me," Harry said, but the words came out a breathy ribbon of silk against Draco's suddenly near lips, and Severus shrewdly reflected that being dominated a bit was exactly what Potter wanted.

Draco merely smiled, catlike, and tilted his head to press his lips to Harry's. Both boys were motionless for a long, wobbly moment, trembling a little. They seemed unable to go further, but neither could they break away.

" _Deeper_ ," Severus instructed, and Draco's hand whipped up to grab the back of Harry's head, holding it in place, and Severus could see their lips begin to move, sucking and sliding as Draco's tongue took possession of Potter's sweet mouth. Potter moaned quietly, and Snape let out a huff of air, feeling satisfied. Harry's glasses were crooked on his nose, one hand skittering up Draco's arm to clutch a smooth shoulder, his eyebrows knitted with sharp pleasure.

"More," Snape whispered, and Draco reached through the bars, pulling Harry into a clumsy embrace. Severus' clever young lover pulled away just enough to show the gleaming duel of tongues, and the man felt desire clench his stomach.

As Draco began to kiss and suck his way down the column of Harry's neck, Harry gave up all pretence of not wanting it and threw his head back, groaning. Severus saw the corner of Draco's lip curve smugly, a glint of grey glancing at Snape.

Harry was pressed against the bars now. "Metal's cold," he noted in a quavering voice.

"It conducts heat well," Severus replied impassively, watching one of Draco's nimble hands slide up the bar to cover Harry's. "You'll warm it quickly."

The youths kissed again, less reluctant with every twist of the tongue. They were almost unbearably delectable, young and lissom, just beginning to reach and touch, serpentine arms trying to wind round one another, pulling each other closer.

Severus sighed, forgetting to grunt directions at them, lost in his own arousal. Severus was not beautiful himself and held many qualities in higher esteem, but he did appreciate the power of elegance and art, and Draco embodied them. Harry, too, though lacking his partner's grace, was made by a creator with an artist's eye; the line of his jaw lickable, his lips well-formed, wet and warm, the lean musculature of his legs and chest beguiling.

They were beginning to rut against each other now, Harry's rose red prick sparring with Draco's pink-tinged ivory. Harry gasped in Draco's ear, and though Severus couldn't see his ward's face, he saw the delicate shudder that rippled down his back.

Severus heard Harry give a delighted whimper, and could see a marble streak of pre-come along his belly, spread by the enthusiastic rubbing of Draco's prick. Draco's mouth was fastened onto Harry's collarbone, and both boys were moving in little, spastic jerks, already near completion.

Severus resisted the impulse to press them even closer together, to let his hands drift down their spines, kissing the smalls of their backs, skim down, groping and grasping perfect swells of flesh, guiding them together... He stepped forward, reaching down and squeezing each of them roughly. "Not yet," he warned.

They gazed up at him, panting and dazed. He handed Draco's robes to Harry through the bars. "Spread these out and lie down on your back," he suggested. "And get as close to the bars as you can."

Harry spread out the robes, too light to give any cushioning, but warmer, softer, and cleaner than the bare stones. Draco did not protest, though his face twitched. The dark haired youth scooted up to the bars, and lay down on his back, his legs spread wide. "Now what?" he asked, sounding far less tentative, his voice hoarse with want.

Severus got to his knees, reached through to grip Harry's legs, and dragged him forward, until his arse cheeks were flush against the bars. He then reached through and pushed the young man's legs back until his legs folded and his knees touched his chest.

"Uh...feeling kind of exposed, here," Harry voiced.

"Draco, make him feel better," Severus purred.

Draco dropped to his hands and knees, licking his way over Harry's balls, causing the youth to make a surprised noise. Draco ignored this, sucking and slurping his way down to Harry's opening, tongue laving his crease, then stiffening to a point, thrusting its way into Potter's body.

Harry writhed madly, hands clenching Draco's robes, crying out in a mixture of pleasure and shame. "Oh my god," he gasped. "Don't—that's so—oh, my _god_!"

Severus smiled thinly. "I did tell him to make you feel better, not less exposed," he noted.

Harry stuffed a shaky fist into his mouth, trying to stifle the greedy noises he was making. Draco continued to explore his hole, flicking, sucking and delving, making hungry little noises all the while.

Severus leaned over, peering down at the boy, eyes dark. "Just think," he hissed. "After we're through, you'll get this every night."

Harry gave a muffled, high-pitched cry, and Severus reached out and grabbed him again just as orgasm threatened. "S—sorry," he mumbled.

" _Self-control_ , you little idiot," Severus snapped. "The stakes are very high, may I remind you?"

Harry shut his eyes. "You can g-get up on your high... _hrgh_...horse all you want and give me that imperious bollocks, but it isn't Draco's hot, wet tongue wriggling round _you_ r insides," he griped.

Draco pulled away. "Want me to stop?" he asked, ingenuously blinking rounded eyes.

" _No_!"

Draco grinned a little, and Harry grudgingly gave a crooked smile as well.

"It's time we moved on," Severus said impatiently. "We don't have much time."

"And I'll bet you want to play, too," Draco responded cheekily, giving a lazy smile.

"As sublime a picture the two of you make together, I am rather more interested in the interactive sort of art," Severus admitted. He sucked one long, pale finger into his mouth, wetting it.

Draco watched, his mouth open, a flicker of pink rubbing against an incisor. "I _love_ it when you do that," he said throatily. As Severus began to prepare Harry, Draco sank, belly to the floor, and began licking around Snape's finger.

Harry's breath was ragged, and his jaw was clenched. Draco added a finger to Severus', and once again, the man caught Harry on the very brink of coming and quickly put a stop to it. "Draco, keep a hand here, since Mr. Potter is so very undisciplined," he said with a sigh.

Draco was more than happy to keep a hand wrapped just a little too tightly round the base of Harry's cock, causing discomfort and a little humiliation.

"I really hate you both," Harry grumbled.

"Happily, neither of us finds that greatly devastating. Do you think young Mr. Potter is ready for further ministrations, my pet?" Severus asked.

Draco's eyes became wolfish slits. He got up on his knees and positioned himself at Harry's entrance. "This is Harry Potter. He can take whatever we dish out—isn't that right?"

"Fine, whatever—just go ahead and _dish it faster_ , if you don't mind!" Harry insisted.

With a charming smile, Draco slid into him, and Harry let out a yelp, fingers scrabbling to fist and twist in the robes beneath him.

"Oh, my god," he said in a rough voice. "I never pictured it like this. I always thought I'd be topping you!"

This gave Draco serious pause. "How very raunchy! Potter, did you really picture having sex with me?"

"Yes, yes, yes, now shut up and start fucking, if you're going to fuck!"

Draco moved, his body shifting sinuously. "Darling, I'm _really_ getting off on that filthy mouth of yours. We'll make a Slytherin of you yet."

"Nuh-uh," Harry grunted in between Draco's thrusts. "I won't stoop that low."

"Says the bloke on his back with his legs spread," Draco teased.

" _More_ ," Harry pleaded, one hand reaching for a bar to wrap around it, giving himself some leverage. "Please, fuck, yes, _more!_ "

"I'm afraid Draco is not equipped to offer you any additional pleasure...without _assistance_ ," Snape hissed, beginning to rankle at being left out.

There was a pause as he situated himself behind Draco, lifting up the young man's hips, and Harry began to grumble.

"Stop that, or we'll send you to bed without cock," Draco told him.

"If there's one complaint I have with your lovemaking," Severus interjected, pushing into the youth and forcing him deeper into Harry, "it's your unceasing prattle and need for intelligent discourse when I'd rather concentrate on my prick." Harry dragged one hand through his hair, muttering something incoherent with the words _fuck_ and _yes_ and _hard_ interspersed throughout. "While Potter, on the other hand, cannot seem to abstain from incomprehensible _babbling_."

"I think it's rather sweet," Draco argued. He thrust forward, into Harry, who moaned, then shoved back, causing Severus to bite back a groan. "Besides, you're just try—oh... _that's_ nice—trying to play it cool and show off for the new boy."

Severus slammed home, shutting Draco up for a merciful minute or two. "I'm doing _no such thing_."

Harry was making lovely noises, ignoring them both. Draco seemed fascinated with his new toy, alternately gasping when Severus brushed his prostate and licking his lips, gazing down at Potter. Severus had to admit that the youth looked nearly edible—his eyes were glassy, his hair a wispy, trembling mess, his hands travelling over his body sensually, rubbing his chest, fisting his hair, stroking his neck, fisting his _prick_.

"Do _not_ let him orgasm," Severus reminded Draco.

Draco nodded absently, his own hand toying with Potter's cock. "I'm all over it," he replied. He thumbed the boy's slit, then dug a fingernail into the bubbling opening. One of Draco's arms reached up around Snape, anchoring him. "You know," he mused, still staring raptly down at Harry's twitching member, "If I had my silver necklace, I bet I could work it right into his—"

"We should probably save that for a sterile environment and an occasion on which I can slip Potter a sedating serum," Severus replied.

"In my—in my—are you _mad_?" Harry asked, trying to bat Draco's hand away. "Why the hell would anyone want to do that?"

"It's hot," Draco replied, sounding a little hurt at Harry's lack of enthusiasm.

"You're a fucking sadist...even if you're a good lay," Harry told him.

"I am not. It's just a kink...there aren't many people willing to engage in a little urethra play," he pouted.

"There aren't many people willing to smack each other over the head with codfish during sex, and don't you think there's a reason for that?"

Draco shifted his body, and he could see the pleasure light up Harry's eyes. "I'll let you top if you'll let me try it sometime..."

Snape snapped his hips, nearly jarring Harry away from the bars. "Shit," Harry whispered. "Sod it then, next time you can try it."

"I knew it was your thing," Draco purred, running a finger up the underside of Harry's cock, then pausing again at Harry's hiss of breath through clenched teeth. "I'll bet you're a virgin, aren't you?" he teased.

"I'm _not_."

"Your right hand doesn't count."

"Look, just because I've never let another bloke...another bloke...er..."

"Dear lord, I just had my tongue up your arse not ten minutes ago, and you're still all Blushing Maiden about it? _Virgin_."

"I _hate_ you."

"I hate you too. That's what makes this so satisfying," Draco replied, his lips pulled away from his teeth in a fashion that was as predatory as it was smug. "That explains why you keep wanting to ejaculate too soon; you've never had anything this good before."

"Malfoy...if you don't stuff it, I'm going to pound your face in, no matter _what_ tricks your tongue can do when it's not pissing me off."

"Are you trying to tell me you're not a virgin?"

"So what if I am!? _Just. Stop. Talking. About. It._ "

Severus slammed into Draco, cutting the exchange short, prompting Draco to go from slick and in-control to breathy and trembling. Draco's cheeks flushed, and a lock of his typically immaculate hair was now damp and falling rakishly over his forehead. Snape kept the pace something akin to brutal, keeping both boys too occupied to converse further. Harry began to complain of discomfort—his hips were high, keeping his arse in position—and unless he held tight to the bars, Draco's thrusts kept nudging him away.

Severus reached through, grabbing Harry's foot and pulling it into their cell. Harry had trim, coltish legs, and there was little difficulty in hooking one over Draco's shoulder. It was a bit of a contortionist act, but Harry seemed to enjoy this sensuous, leggy manoeuvre. He squeezed his eyes like a contented cat, a rolling noise emanating from deep in his throat, something like a purr.

Snape delicately traced Harry's foot with a finger, watching his toes curl. The boy mewled, and the faint noise caused Draco to shudder with pleasure. Draco was so tight, familiar and smooth; the elegant spasming of muscle, the sensation of being sucked into his body was nearly too much. Severus rested his cheek against platinum locks, bringing Harry's foot up to kiss the knob of his ankle lightly.

Harry writhed, riding the pounding current Severus sent through Draco into his receptive body. "I think—I think—can't—much—more," Harry stammered.

Draco's body flexed and bent gloriously, sending white-hot fire into Snape's belly. Severus recognized it as his lover's own way of trying to get in just a few more moments of magnificent fucking before spiralling into orgasm.

"All right—all right," the man rasped. "The incantation. You have to—say it."

"Gngh," Harry managed, his face screwed up with the effort of paying attention to Snape's voice and _not climaxing_. "What—what—do I say?"

"Repeat after me: _Vim Voluptatis_..."

" _Vim...Vim Voluptatis_..."

" _Increbresce Legaque_."

" _In...inc_...God almighty— _Draco_ , yes, right _there_...S—sorry... _In—in—incre_ —fuck, that feels _incredible_ "

"Pay attention!" Severus demanded. Seeing Potter naked, vulnerable, and squirming—with delight or pain, it had ceased to matter—was overtaxing his patience.

"What...how—that word...what was...?"

" _Increbesce,_ you unutterable, sexually useful but otherwise worthless fool!"

" _Increbest...Inc_..." Harry swallowed.

Try as he might, Harry couldn't get all the words out without stumbling over them. Part of that _had_ to have something to do with the obscene way Draco was running a wet tongue over his teeth—even when Harry closed his eyes, he could still see it.

"Concentrate, boy!" Snape growled.

Harry clenched his teeth and dug his nails into his palms. "Ohgodohgod, please don't say things like that if you don't want me to come!"

This only made Severus more exasperated with him. "I'm demanding you concentrate in order to make you pay attention, not turn you on, goddammit!"

"I know! I know you're not growling and calling me 'boy' just to turn me on, _but that's what you're doing, so stop it!_ "

Severus groaned—less with pleasure and more with frustration. Why did he have to be cursed with two stubborn, inflexible—yet still deliciously flexible—teenaged brats? Draco lifted Snape's hand, drawing two long fingers deeply into his mouth; Severus could feel that brilliant tongue playing wetly over them, sweet little sexual deviant that Draco was, and—

" _VIM VOLUPTATIS INCREBRESCE LEGAQUE!_ " Harry spat unexpectedly, but with great determination. Draco sucked in a rush of cool air around Snape's fingers, suddenly stiffening even as Potter arched beneath him. Harry let out an undignified sound along the lines of " _Ungh!_ " and came copiously all over his stomach.

He stared up at Severus, dripping come from his still-twitching cock, his expression bewildered, gasping for air. He was the very picture of a well-fucked beauty, and Severus wanted nothing more than to crush his lips to Potter's, to grab him by his thick, inky hair and urge him toward Severus' cock, to see that mouth stretch.... There was a tension in the air, a feeling of unspent, coiled power.

"DON'T FORGET THE DOORS!" Snape howled, all thoughts of his sexual bounty suddenly gone.

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Um... _Reducto!_ " Harry shouted.

The bars of the cell doors began glowing red, then white; the scent of something burnt filling the room. As the man stared, they began to slump, bending, beginning to look waxy and finally trickling like candles, pooling in a molten puddle on the dungeon floor.

There was a long, breathless moment as the three of them stared. Harry slowly got to his feet, and the other two disentangled themselves and did the same. Severus noted that Harry's stomach was not the only bit of him currently dripping with pearly liquid. Apparently Draco had managed to enjoy himself as well.

"You _imbecile_!" Severus snarled. "I wasn't fin—I mean, you cast the spell prematurely! Draco and I were supposed to _gather our magic_ , because despite all the panting and thrusting, it's a _delicate spell_ requiring _precision_ and _timing_ , and you can't just go shooting off all by yourself whenever you feel like it!"

Harry was a brilliant shade of red. "It was fucking Draco's fault!" he insisted. "Draco and his stupid tongue! And you can tell him the next time he winks at me when we're fucking, I'll poke his sodding eye out! Anyway, I thought you were ready!"

"Well, you were taking so damned long about it, I lost my concentration!"

Severus was glaring down at him, his cock red and large and quite obviously not done with Harry yet, thank you very much.

Harry stared. "Er, does this mean we get to start over at the beginning?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

" _No_ ," Snape said curtly.

"I think that would be excessive and gratuitous," Draco said wryly. "Please stop dripping your inferior seed all over my robes and hand them over."

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Harry replied, ducking his head. His eyes wandered back to Severus' prick. "Are you sure you don't—I mean, I could..." he offered, gesturing.

"You're right. I should—er—penetrate you, just to make certain the spell takes. Come back over to the bars, then," Severus instructed. "And face away from me."

"You don't _have_ to do it that way," Draco pointed out. "You can go into one another's cells now."

"Shut up."

Draco seemed to be having a bit of a coughing fit. "All right, all right. I'll just, um, guard what's left of the doors, then." He carefully picked his way over the still-bubbling mess on the floor, going over to the stairs.

Harry seemed to be having second thoughts. "Ah, I was sort of thinking of just using my hand, if that would be all right—"

"It wouldn't, you idiot. Did I not say penetration was necessary?"

"Well, yeah, but Draco already did that to me and you're quite a bit bigger, and I've only ever done this sort of thing tonight, so I'm a bit concerned about whether or not it'll fit—"

"I'll make it fit," Snape promised.

Harry's face went chalky white as the man grabbed his hips. "Oh, good," he said weakly. Snape didn't bother to prepare him at _all,_ just thrust—but there was no pain. Still, Harry couldn't hold back a noise of surprise.

Severus laughed softly, bringing his lips down to the bars, near Harry's ear. "You're already stretched—and lubricated in a fashion, remember?" He moved, slipping easily in and out of Harry's body. "I'm not usually one to thrill at sloppy seconds, but we don't have time for anything else."

Harry was shaking slightly, his prick beginning to swell again as Severus swept roughly over his prostate again and again. "Oh, hell," he whispered. "Fuck, that feels good."

Snape couldn't even speak. Potter was so tight, so perfect. Each slam of Severus' hips caused flares of lust to sputter through his body. The bond had already taken effect; every movement Snape made caused a corresponding pleasure in Potter, and Severus could feel each echo of feeling in his own body.

Harry pried one of Snape's hands from his hip, pulling it up to his face, nuzzling against it. Severus realised he probably wasn't the only one feeling the augmented exhilaration of the curse. Potter was mewling softly, begging, without words, for Severus to touch him.

The man teased, running a finger over Harry's bottom lip, dragging his hand down the column of Harry's throat, tweaking one of Harry's nipples until the boy was a stuttering, quivering mess. "Fuck, come on, Snape," he groaned. "Don't keep a bloke—in suspense!"

Severus continued to pet the youth, running clever fingers over silky, sweaty skin. Draco wasn't paying as much attention to the door as he probably should have been—he kept glancing over his shoulder at them, eyes dark, his breathing speeding up again.

"You're going to make me beg, aren't you?"

Severus came to an abrupt halt, meeting Draco's eyes. The thought hadn't actually crossed his mind. Potter would never—

" _Please_ , you fucking bastard, _please touch my cock,_ are you happy? Fuck—god—Snape—I need—need it—please—"

Snape's hips snapped once, twice, and he was coming, reaching around to pump Potter's swollen prick, because there was no stopping his orgasm; he was lucky the brat hadn't given him a heart attack.

Harry thrust into his hand, keening as he came, slamming back onto Severus' cock and into the bars in a manner likely to leave bruises on his arse.

Severus actually had to hold onto the bars for support for a few moments afterward. One more reason to be glad he'd brought Harry into this. Much as he loved having a fucktoy whenever the urge hit, Draco could be a bit difficult to keep up with. Harry could do so easily, though. And every night, Severus could watch...

"Wow," Harry said, blinking and wiping the perspiration that had fallen into his eyes. "That was...wow. Is the spell good, then? Did it take this time?"

Severus, still leaning limply against the bars, nodded and wheezed. "Probably a safe bet." He just stopped himself from adding, 'We should probably do it again later, just in case.' Even Potter wasn't that stupid. Well. He _probably_ wasn't, anyway.

"So!" Harry clapped his hands together. "What next?"

"We can escape now. That _was_ the _point_ , remember?" Severus noted.

"Right. Right." He glanced at the conspicuously absent cell doors, grinning. "Well...hey, at least we're free. I did it!"

"My hero," Draco said sarcastically, belying his words by nearly smothering Harry with a kiss. By the time they broke for air, both youths looked vaguely surprised. "What the hell just happened?" Draco demanded.

"Er...you kissed me?"

"It's the bond taking effect," Severus said dismissively, buttoning up his robes. At least there wouldn't be an almighty tent in them. "Hurry and dress, boys."

Draco whinged about the state of his robes, but fell reflectively silent when Severus threatened to rub his nose in them. Before they'd so much as gotten to the stairs, footsteps sounded on them.

"Wait!" Harry called out, just as Amycus rushed down the stairs.

Severus had never listened to a word the boy said, and wasn't about to start now. He cast a wandless, silent, full-body bind on their captor.

"Oh, _shit_!" Harry swore, running to catch the man as well as he was able, then carefully set him on the dungeon floor. "Damn it, Snape! You always..."

Severus and Draco stared. "What the hell are you doing?" Draco asked.

"You know, it's been almost an hour since I've been here," Harry noted. Draco looked taken aback, but Severus began to have a suspicion....sure enough, Amycus was beginning to change, his face altering right before them.

"Lupin," Snape said flatly. "You used Polyjuice."

"Yes," Harry replied. "It would have been too dangerous to come alone; the Order sent Remus to keep an eye on me."

"To what purpose?" Severus demanded. "Why would you choose to get thrown in Azkaban, even for a short while?"

"Because word went straight back to Voldemort that I was here, and he undoubtedly abandoned boobie-trapping the last Horcrux to come to me. Hagrid is waiting to move in and destroy it, and then..." he gulped, trailing off. "Well, I guess I'm ready to face him, aren't I?"

"Why did you go through with the spell, if you didn't need to?" Draco asked, shaking his head in mystification.

Harry grinned. "The ability to borrow your power and amplify my own? Look, I'm just about to face down Voldemort for the _last time_ , if I can help it. I need every advantage I can get, and that's a _big_ advantage."

"I see."

"Plus, I'll know where you are. Didn't Snape say something about that? You'll always know where your bond-partner is, what they're feeling, so on and so forth?" Potter's smile became something sharper, something dangerous. "Well, I didn't reckon I'd be able to do anything about it right after we escaped, but after that, I'm coming after you. You'll be right back in Azkaban, if you don't get kissed. And I'm going to relish knowing just how miserable you are."

They stared at him, speechless.

"I guess I can give you a bit of a head start," Harry offered sweetly. "I can't leave until I get the curse off of Remus, and then I expect I'll be a bit busy with Voldemort. But don't worry; I won't forget about you."

Severus grabbed Draco's sleeve and hauled him up the stairs. "Would you like to find your father and let him out?"

"I...I guess so," Draco said, sounding shaken. "Why did you do that? Why didn't you attack him?" he demanded angrily. "You let him have the last word!"

"Hush," Severus said with a half-smile. "It's nothing so dire as you imagine."

"But he's bonded to us, and he's the only one of us with the ability to use the spell!"

"Nonsense."

"What?"

"I merely said that knowing he'd be unlikely to participate unless he thought it was true. Any of us can use the power of the curse at any time."

"Really? But still..."

"Gryffindors are all fools. They never fail to suspect you of lying when you're not, and assume you're telling the truth about everything simply because you've told the truth about something else."

"What do you mean?"

"He knew I was telling the truth about the Dark Lord; I told Potter he'd be able to defeat the man, and there's a good chance he will. His desire to win made him accept that he'd be the only one able to cast the spell, as unlikely as the possibility was, and his arrogance guaranteed he would believe that we _needed_ him in order for it to work."

"You mean we _didn't?_ What the hell's wrong with you? I slept with that stunted, stupid _freak_ for no reason?"

"I _always_ have a reason; never forget that. In the first place, Potter really is very powerful, and we'll now be able to use that power as we wish. In the second place...do you really believe he'll be able to hurt us? I saw the way he looked at you after you kissed him. He was confused, certainly, but there was a softness in his eyes...a _need_."

"You don't think he'll trace us through the bond and have us handed to the Dementors?"

Severus' smile widened, and he reached out to grasp Draco's chin, pausing to turn and give the boy a tender kiss. "I would never let that happen to you," he murmured, brushing pale eyelashes with the backs of his fingers, feeling the heat rising from Draco's cheeks.

"No. You're bonded to me," the youth said grudgingly. "You wouldn't let anything happen to me if you could help it."

"And neither will he," Severus said smugly. "His well-being is tied to ours, you see. A Dementor's kiss would kill him, as well. And if he made us suffer...well, you get the idea. Likewise, our pleasure gives him pleasure. He has a vested interest in our health and happiness."

Draco shook his head. "So you played him?"

"I prefer you to think of it as having invested in our future."

Draco smiled a little, leaning on the man as they slipped through the dark hallways, looking for Lucius' cell. "Harry's going to be very peeved when he finds out you tricked him, not to mention that we'll both be expecting him to have sex with us. And...er...the emotional side," he added. "He's going to be _furious_ , isn't he?"

Severus shrugged. "He'll get over it. Besides, what do you care? He can't do anything about it. Didn't some Muggle once say, 'Love your enemy; it will drive them crazy?' Think of it as our final, greatest revenge."

"Draco? Draco? Is that you?" Lucius' voice, creaky and tired, floated down the hall, and Draco pulled Snape back a couple of feet.

"Oh, great!" he whispered. "I wasn't looking forward to trying to explain to father my romantic involvement with you! How the hell am I supposed to rationalise the fact that I'm now in a lifelong ménage à trois with Harry Potter as well?"

The idea only served to lift Severus' spirits higher. "I'm getting revenge right and left today, aren't I?"

"I suppose insisting I'm in love wouldn't help."

"I doubt it. Your father's a Malfoy, not a starry-eyed adolescent girl." Draco sighed. "It's all right," Severus assured him. "We'll just explain it in terms of power, manipulation, and opportunity. He'll understand that."

"What should I say?"

"It's perfectly straightforward," Severus insisted. "The boy will, sooner or later, vanquish the Dark Lord, and you and I will be in prime position to benefit from it," the man explained, his eyes distant, focussing on the future. "Harry Potter is going places, and like it or not, he's taking us with him. Hitch your wagon to a star," he advised the boy.

Draco grinned, his eyes shining with admiration. "Well, a messy-haired fuckwit of a star, at any rate," he said grudgingly.

"He'll do," Severus assured the youth, reflecting on Potter's brilliant eyes and luminous smile. "With the two of us...how could he go wrong?"


End file.
